I don’t think I’ll ever get a ‘crack-berry’. Not only because I will never be important enough for people to email me while I am out of the office, but also as a silent protest to the end of the 9 – 5 workday. I know there are professions that require 24 hour round-the-clock availability. Perhaps a doctor, a paramedic … a soldier… a cop. I will even admit that entrepreneurs work longer days than the average worker. What I have a problem accepting is the extension of this expectation to the office where workers are expected to be available at all hours of the day. Technology has given modern day slave-drivers the excuse to expect their subordinates to hasten the project/task process due to the tools they have been provided, e.g. a laptop. Now the last time I checked, my laptop served two purposes only –
1) To be able to work from home in the event of an emergency or act of God
2) Occasionally finish tasks that could not be completed at work for whatever reason ( such as many useless meetings that took up my time)
I am thankful and appreciative for my precious laptop and its conveniences– it does allow for more flexibility; but I leave it at work 99.5% of the time. I figure that if I consistently cannot get my work done during the slotted 7.5 hours, – something else is wrong. Whether it be a time management or human resource issue – it should be temporary.
However, if Suzanne keeps sending me ‘distress’ emails from 11pm-3am during weeknights, and copies the CFO, CEO and all the shareholders, that makes me look about…. 8 hours late when I respond at 9 am the next morning. That’s not right! And why were there responses going on into the wee hours of the morning? I swear these people must have clones. It must be the best kept secret in the new world. “How to excel in your job: Red Bull and its ability to promote Self Cloning”. I did NOT get that memo let me tell you.
I am even less impressed that when these tools go ‘missing’ as did my husband’s laptop from his trunk on the way home. He had to cash out RRSPs to replace this precious tool that the workplace did not insure. So let me get this straight. I am going to take this black box home after work (where I stayed late) to plug back into the ‘Matrix’ and ignore my family. ..without being paid overtime – AND when someone steals it from my locked trunk – I have to fork out $2000.00 to get it replaced? Well how about I just…take a vacation for a month without pay, and purchase a second hand from my brother for a few hundred bucks. That should about even out the cost. I mean for the love of cholera – why in the hell would I ever take my laptop home again?
It just worries me as how far this will go. Managers now feel comfortable enough in interviews to ask “Are you looking for a 9-5 , because this is not a 9-5 job…”. I mean there are laws put into place to prevent this…right? Or are there?
Back in 1913 work hours were stipulated as follows:
The provisions of the Ontario Factory, Shop and Office Building Act of 1913, were typical, whereby:
“The hours of employment are limited as follows: No person of any
of the classes protected by the Act may be employed for more than
ten hours in one day, unless some other arrangement of hours of
labour per day has been made for the sole purpose of giving a shorter
day’s work on such day of the week as may be arranged, and no such
person may be employed for more than sixty hours in any one week.
The hours of labour are not to be earlier than seven o’clock in the
forenoon or later than half past six in a factory, or six o’clock in the
afternoon in a shop, unless a special permit in writing is obtained
from the Inspector (…)”
(Government of Canada Website) (
In recent years,
“Sometimes the law only provides that where the standard workday
or workweek is exceeded, overtime must be paid. But some laws,
in addition to standard hours of work, also provide a legal maximum
number of hours per day or per week, in excess of which an employee
is not permitted to work.”
(Government of Canada website)
So… what that means exactly is …. If you are working a 60 hr extended ‘volunteer’ workweek, and getting paid a $50k salary – you’re making $16/hr . Oh did I mention you’ll really only be taking home $35k after taxes? That’s right. Oh – I’m sorry – did you say ‘But they are paying for my phone bill?’ Well there you go. Why don’t you just move into the office and save yourself some cash. No one would notice! Free utilities.. you could order in –just like you did at home because you were too busy working to cook.
If you are confused as to what the problem is, let me clarify. The work day ends at 5 for most of us – if you know that it ends at five ‘o’ clock, do not send me emails, instant messages or call me at eight or nine or ten or any other ungodly hour to delegate tasks to me. If you must – do not copy our superiors to serve your own self fulfilling need to stand out. If you continue to persist with this ridiculous behaviour, just know that you’re making it more difficult for the rest of us. Why can’t you just pretend to have a life – and shut the phone/laptop off. You’ll be surprised to discover that you still feel important, competent and respected by your peers.
This is for you Dre! : )
Denise
